


Brother

by AmeBot2038



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: After-Brainwash, Brother by Kodaline, Captain America - Freeform, Clean Bucky, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Recap, Songfic, Stucky - Freeform, Wakanda, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:34:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26947531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmeBot2038/pseuds/AmeBot2038
Summary: Songfic including the song Brother by Kodaline.Bucky was into cryostasis on his own terms in Wakanda, and Shuri managed to wip everything from his brain what was left from HYDRA and the Winter Soldier. Before Bucky returned to duty and back to Steve, he took some time to think about his life.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Kudos: 9





	Brother

**Author's Note:**

> Wooohooo first fanfic in another fandom here. I'm currently really hyped again about Marvel, and I have a couple of Stucky fanfics in mind. Stay tuned.
> 
> Song: Brother by Kodaline  
> https://open.spotify.com/track/65gLJGey4u4KFFqoC5fzFJ?si=UxrkQC5RQ2Ks1nUzbpnB7g  
> I'm so obsessed with the song after seeing it in a video on YouTube.

It had been one week since Bucky had awakened from cryostasis. Shuri had supposedly managed to remove all remnants of HYDRA’s brainwashing. The girl was as intelligent as Bucky would never understand. He knew her abilities and trusted her. When Shuri had declared the recalibration of his brain as completed, it was complete. Yet for a week, Bucky had refused to take the ultimate final test. Even though he believed in Shuri and was convinced of her, he couldn’t bring himself to listen to the ten code words again, which would eventually reactivate the Winter Soldier in him. The loss of control. The urge to kill. Bucky just wanted to bury all those memories in the deepest corner of his brain and never think about them again. Never again. However, he was in Wakanda to eliminate the last possibility of taking control that HYDRA still had. This meant that he could only have certainty if he faced it. Otherwise, everything would have been for nothing. In the months he had spent in cryostasis, Steve was on the road only God knows where, putting himself in danger. He always ended up getting stupid ideas if nobody stopped him. For sure, he had already broken into the high security prison to free Sam, Wanda, Clint, and Scott. 

Sighing, Bucky made his way to Shuri. He had now shied away long enough to get through the activation ritual. Steve needed his support now, not three months or whenever Bucky felt ready to do this. Besides, Bucky wanted to have certainty and finally leave HYDRA behind for good or keep working to achieve that. 

Shuri, of course, was in her lab as usual. She saw Bucky coming and gave him a happy smile. Even though Bucky usually appreciated the young girl’s sense of humor, he was glad she wasn’t kidding around at that moment. She knew what he had come for. Still, her charisma was reassuring. If anyone could help Bucky, it was Shuri. Wordlessly, Bucky let himself sink into a chair made for him. Shuri locked the cuffs around his wrists and ankles to prevent him from killing anyone if the codes were still working. Though everything had been painless until now, this chair brought back memories that Bucky would rather forget. Fluorescent light. Denture guard. The smell of burnt flesh. The screams, his screams. The pain.

“Man, I’m really sick of these things,” muttered Bucky, who was sliding restlessly back and forth on the seat.  
“You’ll be done soon. I’ve never failed before,” Shuri replied determinedly.  
Bucky was grateful that she didn’t give him a pitiful look or feign understanding. He just wanted to get it over with. The last time he had been so tense, he had gone to war. All his hope lay in that moment. His freedom depended on it.

When all the safety precautions were taken, Shuri stood up and looked at him questioningly. As Bucky nodded, she began to enumerate the codes, “Желание, Ржавый, Семнадцать, Рассвет, Печь, Девять, Добросердечный, Возвращение на родину, Один, Товарный вагон. Солдат?”  
Bucky didn’t want to lull himself into a false sense of security. He waited, turned all his concentration inwards, but nothing changed.  
“I don’t expect orders,” he finally replied with a grin.  
Shuri hugged him with joy, and even though Bucky felt uncomfortable with the restraints, he couldn’t help but laugh with relief.

The rest of the day was spent in a secluded place near the palace. It was Bucky’s oasis whenever he needed time for himself, away from all the people and technology. He sat leaning against a tree and watched the sun approach the horizon. In his thoughts he reflected on his life so far.

When we were young, we were the ones  
The kings and queens oh yeah, we ruled the world  
We smoked cigarettes man no regrets  
Wish I could relive every single word

Smiling, he thought back to the time before the war. How he had grown up together with Steve, how they had always been inseparable. Was there even a time before he knew Steve? Had Bucky ever had another friend? Sure, he had met lots of people over the years, made friends, but no one else was ever as close to him as Steve was. It wasn’t always easy, especially after Steve’s parents died. For a moment there was no one there to keep an eye on him. Of course, Bucky had done everything he could, but he couldn’t always be with Steve. He had a job and had to earn money. Of course, this only meant that Steve was beaten up time and time again because he never backed away from a fight, no matter how outclassed he was. Besides, Steve had such a bad asthma attack that he almost fainted or worse if Bucky wouldn’t have come to visit at that moment. Slowly but steadily, he was able to calm his best friend down and normalize his breathing. When Bucky then found a pack of cigarettes in the small apartment, he lashed out. Steve this punk was on a suicide trip, so Bucky decided to move in with him. He quit his own apartment and got Steve a job at the company where Bucky worked. That way, he could keep an eye on Steve. Even though Steve was sick all the time, and Bucky was worried sick, and the money was barely enough, they felt like kings in their tiny apartment. They were independent, had their lives in their own hands and could do whatever they wanted.

We’ve taken different paths  
And travelled different roads  
I know we’ll always end up on the same one when we’re old  
And when you’re in the trenches  
And you’re under fire I will cover you

Then, the war came. Bucky was drafted and went overseas. Steve took the serum and turned himself into a super warrior and eventually went to war as well. Bucky had already made his peace with dying after his captivity. He was constantly injected with some kind of substance, only to be tested shortly afterwards for its effectiveness by injuring Bucky. At that time, he hadn’t noticed that his wounds healed much faster than usual. His body and mind were too overwhelmed. Whenever he had a clear moment between the infusions and all the pain, he thought of Steve. Bucky regretted not being able to say goodbye to him, that Steve wouldn’t know what was going to happen to Bucky. Bucky prayed to all the gods he could think of that Steve would be okay, that he would find someone who would take care of him the way Bucky did. But instead of lying in bed sick, Steve was on his way to save Bucky. They were only together for a short time before Bucky fell off the train and plunged into the depths. Their paths parted for 70 years, and Zola made sure they were on completely different sides. While Bucky’s time in cryostasis was constantly interrupted by orders from HYDRA, allowing him to catch a glimpse of all the changes over the decades, Steve’s time in the ice was continuous, and from one moment to the other he was thrown into a whole new world. Nevertheless, they had found each other again via detours. Bucky hadn’t believed in fate until he could finally break free from HYDRA’s influence. But after he finally remembered Steve, he couldn’t believe that someone like him would get a second chance. He had killed so many people, HYDRA had made him a thoughtless killing machine, and yet Steve was there to welcome him with open arms. In the fight, they were back to their usual pattern so quickly, no matter how much unspoken things were left between them. Still, they would always cover each other’s six.

If I was dying on my knees  
You would be the one to rescue me  
And if you were drowned at sea  
I’d give you my lungs so you could breathe

How often had they saved each other? Bucky wouldn’t count it. Already during the war, but also in the past weeks. They slipped back into old patterns so quickly. Always knew where the other was, what he was up to. They just knew how the other one thought. They were one. One soul in two bodies. Even when Bucky was nothing more than the Winter Soldier, Steve had saved him. Refused to fight him. Saved him from drowning in the helicopter in Berlin. Bucky owed Steve his life and vice versa. They would sacrifice themselves for each other, would try everything possible until the last spark of life was extinguished. Bucky would do anything to save Steve’s life. There would be no one he wouldn’t kill for Steve, including himself.

I’ve got you brother-er-er-er  
I’ve got you brother-er-er-er  
I’ve got you brother-er-er-er  
I’ve got you brother-er-er-er

Oh brother, we’ll go deeper than the ink  
Beneath the skin of our tattoos  
Though we don’t share the same blood  
You’re my brother and I love you that’s the truth

Bucky had always loved Steve. They had always been inseparable. Friends became brothers and eventually more. Before the ice, they didn’t have many opportunities to get close. Always on guard, always afraid of getting caught. During the war they had no chance to do so, more than a close look or hug was too dangerous. There were some men in the army who lived out their sexuality a little, but for a sergeant and a captain, especially Captain America, a hero, rank forbade it. They were leaders and had to be above reproach if they didn’t want to lose the respect of the soldiers.  
When HYDRA’s spell over Bucky was finally broken, they had enough other problems and even less time or opportunity to get closer to each other. There were so many things they still had to talk about. Bucky had denied Steve any conversation before he went into cryostasis because he wanted to be completely himself. When they had said goodbye to each other, they had hugged each other for a long time. Bucky had dropped his head on Steve’s chest and had listened to the steady beating of his heart. Slowly they had separated, looked each other long into the eyes and for a moment, Bucky thought Steve was going to kiss him, but finally Steve’s mind prevailed. He understood and accepted Bucky’s decision and wanted to settle everything calmly. After all, there was a chance now, they would become as close as they had been, if not closer, once the Winter Soldier had disappeared from Bucky’s mind.

We’re living different lives  
Heaven only knows  
If we’ll make it back with all our fingers and our toes  
5 years, 20 years, come back  
It will always be the same

When Bucky thought about his life, he realized that he wasn’t doing so bad. Sure, he only had one arm left and had just survived the brainwashing, not to mention the consequences of constant electric shocks and cryostasis, but still he was here. Only God knew when his brain would eventually give up for good, but who cared about that at the moment. Bucky knew Steve was waiting for him, even after 70 years. He knew that nothing would ever change between them, even if they wanted to. They would always remain one soul in two bodies, understanding each other in a way no one else could. Besides, who had the opportunity to live in the future?

If I was dying on my knees  
You would be the one to rescue me  
And if you were drowned at sea  
I would give you my lungs so you could breathe

I’ve got you brother-er-er-er  
I’ve got you brother-er-er-er

And if we hit on troubled water  
I’ll be the one to keep you warm and safe  
And we’ll be carrying each other  
Until we say goodbye on our dying day

Bucky vowed to himself that he would never leave Steve’s side again, that he would never disappoint or hurt Steve again. Bucky would make sure that they would spend the rest of their lives together to solve all their problems. Together they were an insurmountable unity. One day, they would say a brief goodbye and meet again on the other side.

Because I’ve got you brother-er-er-er  
I’ve got you brother-er-er-er  
I’ve got you brother-er-er-er  
I’ve got you brother-er-er-er

If I was dying on my knees  
You would be the one to rescue me  
And if you were drowned at sea  
I would give you my lungs so you could breathe

Bucky was ready for the next mission, and for the first time in his life, he was free. He could decide for himself where he wanted to go. Nobody was chasing him, nobody was forcing him. Smiling, Bucky pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent Steve a message. Just two words, but Steve would understand them, and Bucky was nervously anticipating his reaction.

 **Bucky**  
All clear.

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh  
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

I’ve got you brother-er-er-er  
I’ve got you brother-er-er-er

Bucky watched as the moon became less and less visible, as more and more colors blended into the dark blue of the night and heralded the day. HYDRA’s control was gone, and a new era dawned over Wakanda along with the sun. Bucky couldn’t wait to finally see Steve again.


End file.
